Loose Ends
by jt-boi
Summary: Shepard's daughter reminds her that she forget to take care of a few things. Pure, unadulterated fluff. Just move along. Nothing to see here.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So this is my contribution to Dr. Jekyl's "Happy Matriarch Month". While it's a FemShep/Liara piece, it does end with some sassy Aethyta, so I think it qualifies.

I also apologize in advance for the cavities this piece causes. When I get bit by the fluff bug, I get bit HARD. Don't hold it against me.

-jt-

* * *

**Loose Ends**

"Dad, what's a 'divorce'?"

Shepard turned away from the stove to eye her daughter quizzically. Eva was sitting at one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar, and so far had been waiting quietly for her father to finish preparing lunch. Shepard frowned at the unexpected question. "Why do you want to know?"

Eva started fidgeting. "Tanaya at school said that her dad told her that her and her mom were getting 'divorced' and that her dad would be moving back to Earth!" The explanation came out in a rush, and Eva's wide, expressive eyes grew even larger. "What does that mean?" she asked, almost plaintively.

Shepard sighed. Tanaya was one of Eva's closer friends at her school, and her parents had relocated to Thessia after the Reaper War to aide in the reconstruction efforts. Tanaya's mother was asari, and from what Shepard recalled, was involved in some sort of engineering project. Tanaya's father, a human female, had been a pilot during the war. Shepard remembered how pleased she had been when she found out about Tanaya's parentage; humans were still rare on Thessia, and she had been grateful that Eva was not the only one in her class with a human father. Although Shepard was sure Tanaya's parents would work out a suitable custody arrangement, the news was disappointing nonetheless.

"Well, sometimes people who are married or bonded decide they don't want to live together anymore, so they go through the legal process of ending their relationship. Humans call that a divorce. It's the same thing as an asari unbinding," Shepard explained as gently as she could. She returned to the stove briefly, gingerly flipping the two eggs she had been frying, then looked back at her daughter. "Does that make sense?"

Eva nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. But why does it happen?"

Shepard shrugged. "I really don't know. Every relationship is different. People fall in and out of love, or change their mind about what they want to do with their lives. There's a lot of reasons why, I suppose."

"Oh. Okay." Eva looked down, brow furrowed in worry, and began winding her hands, a nervous habit she had acquired from her mother. "Are you and Mom going to get a divorce?" she asked quietly.

Shepard leaned forward, placing both hands on the breakfast bar. "Absolutely not," she answered, perhaps a little firmer than she had intended. "Your mother and I love each other very much, and we love you most of all. We have no intentions of _ever _separating, okay?"

Eva glanced up at her father, and Shepard looked into deep sapphire eyes that mirrored her own. She was suddenly struck by how fragile and vulnerable her daughter appeared in that moment, and it made her chest ache. The young asari chewed her bottom lip for a moment before replying. "Promise?"

Shepard smiled, then held out her hand. She curled her fingers into a fist, but left her last finger extended. Eva eagerly reached out and latched onto her father's finger with her own. "Promise," Shepard echoed.

Eva smiled broadly, and Shepard went back to the stove, pleased that she had managed to successfully navigate another parental minefield. She began to hum under her breath as she slid the eggs out of the pan one by one onto matching pieces of bread. Eva started humming, too, matching her father's tune, but just as Shepard finished silently congratulating herself, the child unloaded with a bomb she hadn't seen coming.

"Are you and Mom bonded or married?'

Shepard blinked, suddenly beset with a new pang of anxiety. "Uh, what?"

"Are you bonded or married?" Eva repeated with a huff. "You said that people can get bonded or married, and if you're human and Mom's asari, then which is it?"

Warning klaxons began firing in Shepard's head as she realized her celebration had been terribly premature. She kicked herself for not having a better strategy in place for addressing this scenario. Eva had been blessed with both her mother's insatiable curiosity and her father's pure stubbornness, and could grab hold of an idea with a ferocity that was terrifying for her young age, blatantly refusing to let go until she had received the answers she required. Shepard had been on the other side of that tenacity, and knew that denying her daughter was often an exercise in futility.

For a brief, guilty moment, Shepard actually considered lying to Eva. Clearly, the news about her friend's family situation was upsetting, and Shepard did not wish to add to her anxiety. But a lie was also inexcusable. The human sighed and looked down at the half-empty mug sitting next to the stove, wishing it held something stronger than lukewarm coffee.

"Well," Shepard began tentatively, "honestly, Mom and I aren't, um, married. Or bonded."

In any other circumstance, Shepard was sure she would have found her daughter's look of abject horror comical.

"You're _not married?_" Eva's mouth was agape. "Why?"

Shepard's brow furrowed as she formulated her response. The simple truth was that her and Liara had just...never quite gotten around to it. After their reunion on Hagalaz, the strength and depth of their bond was never in question, and that knowledge had carried them both through the Reaper War. During those bleak times, there were few discussions of what a future together would entail; Shepard herself hardly broached the subject, too terrified to plan and hope for a life that she may not live to see. Liara, too, had avoided any discussions on the matter for the same reasons, and her reticence was even more understandable given that Shepard had already been killed once. It remained an unspoken agreement between the two of them - should they get out alive, they would always be together. And that had been the extent of it.

But then Eva had been conceived - somewhat accidentally - during their desperate union before the assault on Cronos, Shepard had miraculously survived firing the Crucible, and suddenly, her and Liara were actually staring at the future they had been too scared to even dream about. And even though they threw themselves fervently into building a life together, somehow an actual wedding ceremony had never been put on the agenda. Shepard remembered thinking how selfish and indulgent a celebration, no matter how modest, would seem after devastation wrought by the Reapers. There were literally billions of other couples who were not as lucky as the two of them, and there was no need to make a scene about their good fortune.

And now, fifteen years later, the thought was almost silly. They had a built a new home on Thessia, were raising a daughter together, and even had begun a few tentative conversations about having another child. Their relationship had only grown, their bond now so powerful it was almost frightening. They both openly referred to the other as bondmate, and as far as Shepard was concerned, she didn't need a ceremony or bracelet or ring to cement her devotion to the mother of her child. Liara was hers, she was Liara's, and, quite frankly, that was all there was to it.

However, Shepard struggled to put that concept into words her daughter could understand. "Your mother and I have been through a lot. More than you're probably ever going to know," she said. "Even before the war, I knew I wanted to be with her for rest of my life. And after the war, there was lots to do, and we had you, and...it didn't need to be a priority. But we don't need to have a ceremony to show how committed we are to each other. And you."

Eva nodded solemnly, and Shepard wondered if the crisis had been averted. "B-but..." the asari stammered, and her face twisted into worry again. "If Tanaya's dad can leave and her parents are married, doesn't that mean you can leave too, because you're _not _married?"

Shepard winced at her daughter's brutal logical deduction. She abandoned their lunch and walked briskly around the bar, taking a seat on the stool next to Eva. She turned Eva's head until they were facing each other, then placed a hand on her shoulder, struck at how delicate the child's collarbone felt beneath her callused palm.

"I am _not _going anywhere, V. Didn't I just promise you that?" Shepard waited until she received a weak nod before continuing. "Years ago, I made the same promise to Mom, and if you ask her, she'll tell you that I always keep my promises. I swear there is nothing in the galaxy that could tear me away from you two."

"Really?" Eva's wide sapphire eyes sparkled, and Shepard gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Really." Shepard leaned forward and kissed Eva's forehead. "So no more worries, okay?" Shepard decided not to add that she was fairly certain if she ever did try to leave, she would meet her untimely end in a particularly nasty singularity field. And that a certain matriarch would gleefully help hide the body.

Eva smiled, and Shepard felt her daughter relax beneath her hand. Satisfied that the child was finally put at ease, Shepard returned to her earlier station. She finished assembling the egg sandwiches, adding several slices of bacon and avocado that had been specially imported from Earth. She deftly sliced one of the sandwiches in half, and placed it in front of Eva. She then topped off her coffee, plated her own sandwich, and joined her daughter at the breakfast bar.

Eva swayed back and forth in her seat, swinging her legs wildly as she ate. They sat in silence for few minutes before the young asari suddenly spoke. "You should just ask her," she said.

Shepard looked over and arched a brow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yep." Eva said with her mouth full. "Do you think she'd say yes?"

Shepard chuckled. "Of course she would." She raised her sandwich to take a bite, paused, then frowned. "Why? Do _you _think she'd say yes?"

Eva gave an exaggerated shrug. "I dunno," she said, continuing to munch happily. "Maybe."

A different wave of anxiety came over Shepard as she eyed her daughter suspiciously, suddenly worried that the child was in possession of some unique information she wasn't privy to. Her confidence wavered. Liara would absolutely say yes...right? Shepard thought back for a moment, and realized that they had actually never seriously discussed a ceremony, and the last time the subject had come up was a lame "marriage, old age, and a lot of little blue children" joke Shepard had made damn near two decades ago. She glanced at her bare wrists, and thought about how Liara's were similarly unadorned. Before this conversation, that had never bothered Shepard before.

Her eyes narrowed, and she cast a sidelong glance at Eva. Her daughter continued to devour her lunch, seemingly oblivious to Shepard's inner turmoil. Her chin was raised slightly, and she started to hum again, wearing a look of pure innocence that was both beyond her years and entirely too much like her mother. Shepard shook her head.

"_Fine._ We'll go shopping this afternoon."

* * *

Liara sighed heavily, rubbing at her temple with one hand as she piloted the skycar with the other. She had given her usual driver the night off, finding a sense of relaxation in the simple act of driving herself home from the spaceport. After three days of fighting with the matriarchs in Serrice, her body was aching from exhaustion and frustration. Liara had immediately and unapologetically inserted herself into asari politics once the war ended, still haunted by the fall of her homeworld, and was now the undisputed leader and spokesperson of a new reform movement steadily gaining traction within the matriarchy. She was widely respected - and some would say, even viewed with a sense of awe - because of her actions during the war, and her group's proposals were met with a fair amount of approval. But, despite her influence, there were those who chafed at an upstart young matron seeking to fundamentally change a political structure that had been in place for countless millennia. It seemed that with every year removed from the Reaper War, the leaders of her people became more and more resistant to change, and it was enough to make Liara wish she hadn't relinquished her role as Shadow Broker so readily. Still she had managed to accomplish much in the past several years, and that simple fact was in and of itself remarkable, something that Shepard was quick to remind her of whenever she got too discouraged.

A small smile came to her drawn features. She missed her family terribly, even though she had only been gone for a few days, and hoped that in the future these types of trips would eventually become less and less frequent. Although Shepard was unwavering in her support, Liara always felt guilty at being called away unexpectedly and leaving Shepard and Eva alone. Liara was still surprised at how quickly Shepard had taken to the role of their daughter's primary caretaker, and wondered how long the old soldier would remain content standing in the background as she zealously plunged forward with her new career.

A sudden, cold stab of fear sliced through her at the thought. It was one of her greatest worries, really: that Shepard would eventually become bored or restless and they would ultimately drift apart. Liara really didn't know where the notion came from; Shepard had never given any indications that she was unhappy, and given the strength of their bond, Liara was certain she would recognize it if that was the case. But still, it wasn't that uncommon of an occurrence. The years go by, almost too easily, and one day someone wakes up and realizes their life was not what they believed it to be.

After all, isn't that what happened to her parents?

The comparison was a stretch, to be sure, but the similarities were there. From what she knew, Aethyta was as brash and uncouth as Benezia had been calm and refined. Shepard, too, had the same boldness and impatience as the ornery matriarch, though the human possessed a certain inherent political savvy that Aethyta either lacked or cared not to develop at all. And, it seemed, Liara herself was becoming more like her mother every day, something both Aethyta and Shepard commented on with some regularity.

Liara didn't know the entire story behind the separation, and doubted she ever would, but from what pieces Aethyta let slip (usually after too much ryncol), she gathered that her parents had been very different people, and ultimately the weight of Benezia's political and social stature had drove them apart. Granted, Shepard's importance to the entire galaxy could not be understated, but so far she had shunned any leadership roles or positions, preferring to avoid the limelight just as Liara had apparently rushed wholeheartedly into it. She had changed so dramatically since her days as a shy, withdrawn archaeologist it was almost frightening, and the fact that she had embraced that change so readily was just as disconcerting. Would that eventually be her and Shepard's downfall?

Her navigation display beeped, drawing her from her reverie, and Liara blinked in surprise as she realized she was nearly home. It was early evening, but still late enough that she expected Eva to be in bed. She was disappointed that she wouldn't see her daughter until morning, but there was a part of her that just wanted to be alone with Shepard. Their bond allowed them both to have an almost preternatural understanding of the other's moods, and she knew the her mate would know exactly what to do to improve her disposition. Hopefully, she would be greeted with a full glass of wine and a sympathetic ear, perhaps a backrub, and after some quiet conversation they could whisk upstairs.

She drove pass the security drones stationed at the gated entryway, and slowly made her way down the winding drive to the front of their home. She parked the aircar and gathered her briefcase before exiting the vehicle, deciding her bulkier overnight bag could wait until the morning. She keyed the entry to the front door, and immediately was put on edge.

Her home was dark, save for a single lamp casting weak shadows in the kitchen. There was no doubt that Shepard would still be up - the human never went to sleep before midnight - and usually Liara could find her watching a vid or sitting at the parlor grand piano in the alcove just off the dining room. But now, she was nowhere in sight. Liara silently moved into the kitchen, noticing a massive stack of dishes threatening to spill from the sink. Clearly, Shepard had just been here recently. She reached out tentatively with her mind, trying to locate the human, and when she felt a sudden surge of anxiety emanate from Shepard, that was all she needed.

She withdrew the small pistol from her bag and readied her biotics, causing the air surrounding her to crackle with energy. She surveyed the room, peering into the darkness, waiting patiently until she saw a brief flash of movement out on the deck. Liara frowned and deftly cut through the living room to the sliding door on the other side. She tested the door lightly, finding it unlocked. She pressed herself against the wall, steadying her breathing and holding her position until she saw the motion again. In one swift move, she pushed open the door and shot out onto the deck, leading with her pistol.

Shepard cocked her head and eyed the asari quizzically, holding a plate of food in each hand. "You know, after everything that's happened, this is the first time you've ever pointed a gun at me."

"Goddess, Evan!" Liara lowered her weapon with an exaggerated sigh, then expertly ejected the magazine and cleared the chamber before placing it on the railing. "You scared me. Why are you so nervous?"

Shepard gestured with the plates, giving Liara a shy smile, then carefully set them down on the deck table. "Risotto is a bitch to make. I wasn't sure if it would come out right."

It was only then that Liara finally saw why the house was so dark. Shepard had covered the railing of the deck with strings of soft lights, twining them together so they curled evenly around the wood and cast an even amount of illumination; just enough to light the area but not enough to spill into the house. On the table sat a cluster of white votive candles, each encased in a small glass holder to guard the flame from the ocean breeze. On either side were two place settings, wineglasses, and an open bottle of red that had already been poured into a decanter. Liara inhaled sharply and looked over at Shepard , who was standing quietly next to the table with her hands in her pockets. The human shrugged nonchalantly.

"Welcome home."

Liara smiled warmly, genuinely touched by the display. Shepard was not one for romantic gestures of any sort, and she welcomed the effort wholeheartedly, though she couldn't resist teasing the human at least a little. "You want something, don't you?" Liara placed both hands on her hips and eyed Shepard skeptically, even as her smile refused to be concealed.

Shepard adopted an exaggerated pout as she crossed the space between them and pulled Liara into her arms. "Why can't I just do something nice without you getting all suspicious?"

"Because," Liara said, slowly wrapping her arms around Shepard's neck. "I believe the last time you did something like this you were attempting to convince me to take a 'family vacation' to Tuchanka."

Shepard chuckled. "And didn't we have a great time?"

"Yes, watching you try to outdrink both Wrex and my father was _most_ stimulating." Liara rolled her eyes dramatically, and heard again the low, raspy chuckle that never failed to send shivers down her spine.

"I almost won, too." Shepard's arms tightened around her, and Liara sank into the embrace. Before she could reply that the human had not come anywhere close to winning, and had instead taught their daughter a valuable lesson about hangovers, Shepard leaned in and captured her lips in a firm kiss.

Liara sighed softly as her tension and worry finally drained away. She tangled her fingers in Shepard's thick curls and pulled her closer, earning an unabashed moan from the human. The kiss was relaxed and unhurried, but held an underlying tension that promised that the night would not end at dinner. Liara's mouth curled slightly into a smile, undeniably pleased that the years had not dampened their enthusiasm for each other.

When they broke apart reluctantly, Shepard kept her hands on Liara's waist and pressed their foreheads together. "I know you miss Eva, but I bribed Aethyta into watching her tonight," she said, her voice huskier than usual. "I was hoping we could have a night alone. Is that okay?"

Liara nodded. "That would be perfect."

* * *

"And, if that was not enough, Matriarch Gellieria kept referring to me as a 'maiden.'

Dinner had been finished long ago, but they continued to sit outside on the deck, enjoying the warm night as Liara finished her recap of the trip to Serrice. She had leaned far back into her chair, removed her sandals, and slid her feet into Shepard's lap. The human had obliged in the unspoken request, but stopped the footrub when her heard Liara's latest statement.

"Really?" Shepard's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Oh, she corrected herself immediately afterwards, of course," Liara replied bitterly. "But after the third time it became apparent she was doing it deliberately."

Shepard shook her head. "I can't believe that." She paused, then broke out her lopsided grin. "I mean, has she _seen _ your rack?"

Liara shoved the human's chest with her ball of her foot. "You have been spending far too much time with my father," she said, smiling in spite of her feigned annoyance. Shepard leaned forward to refill their wine glasses, her grin widening for a brief moment before suddenly fading away.

The asari frowned slightly. Although Shepard had always been rather quiet and introspective, tonight she seemed more withdrawn than usual. The human was normally quick to offer words of support or voice a few insights during Liara's stories, but none of that had occurred so far. In fact, the mildly crude joke was the only thing she had said in nearly an hour. Liara could still feel waves of anxiety emanating from Shepard, and was beginning to get concerned, but she hoped that flash of humor meant that the human would finally relax.

"You do not have to get me drunk to get me in bed, you know." Liara smiled over the rim of her glass. They were well into their second bottle, and Shepard was drinking the four hundred year old vintage too fast to truly be enjoying it.

"Who says I even have to try to get you in bed?" Shepard smiled again, but as before, it quickly vanished. She ducked her head and glanced away, avoiding the asari's gently piercing gaze.

"That may be true," Liara conceded. "But before we get to that, why don't you tell me what is troubling you." She nudged Shepard with her foot again as she spoke.

"Nothing."

Shepard's reply was automatic, and after almost two decades together, completely unsurprising. Liara knew that Shepard was deliberate and methodical, and it often took her some time to voice a particularly bothersome idea or emotion, as the soldier in her demanded precision in everything, including her expression. In fact, that trait was one of the first things that drew Liara to the human when she first came aboard the Normandy: the thoughtful manner in which she carried herself, the sharp eyes that missed nothing, and how her words were never wasted. But that meant Shepard also had a tendency to veer from reflection into outright brooding, and often had to be prodded out of those moods.

"Evan," Liara said, using Shepard's name as gentle chastise. The human began to fidget, one of her hands falling to the side of her pants, and remained silent she reached with the other for more wine. Liara was on edge now, wracking her own mind for the possible reasons behind Shepard's reticence. Something must have happened while she was away, because she couldn't recall anything prior to her trip that would be prompting Shepard's behavior...

Just then, she had a flash of an idea as she recalled an all-too-brief conversation about a subject they had been dancing around for weeks. It would certainly explain the surprise meal, elaborate setting, and their daughter's conspicuous absence. She had actually been thinking on it during her free moments on the recent trip and came to her decision on the matter. Liara suddenly felt guilty. If she was correct about Shepard's motivations, she hadn't expected to have this discussion so soon upon her return.

"I think I know what this is about." Liara slipped her feet off Shepard's lap and leaned forward to take the human's hand.

Shepard looked at her skeptically. "You do?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry, but I do not feel that I am ready yet." Liara squeezed Shepard's hand reassuringly, hoping to ease the blow of her pronouncement.

The human stiffened visibly, and pulled back slightly from her touch. "Not...ready?"

Liara felt a surge of apprehension at her mate's reaction. Perhaps Shepard was more invested in this than she had originally realized. "But that does not mean I don't want to," she added quickly, scooting her chair closer to Shepard's. "It is just that my work is demanding so much of my attention right now, and you know how difficult my pregnancy with Eva was. I would just like to wait a few more years until I'm older - "

Liara was interrupted by Shepard's sharp bark of laughter. The human slapped her palm to her forehead and dragged it down her face. "God, you think this is about _kids?_" Her expression turned from confusion into relief.

"What?" Liara sat back abruptly. "Do you not want another child? I thought..."

"No - I mean, yes, of course I do." Shepard began roughly scrubbing her hands across the tops of her thighs. "I thought you wanted to have another kid _right now_ - no, that's fine, we can wait, Li."

The asari sighed and slumped down in her chair. She began idly rubbing her temple. "Then for Goddess' sake, Evan, what is going on with you?"

Their gazes locked, and Shepard didn't answer. Instead, she took a deep breath, then slid out of her chair and dropped to one knee.

Liara threw up her hands. "Now what are you doing? Did you drop something?" she snapped, concern finally giving away to irritation at Shepard's increasingly erratic behavior. Even as she spoke, though, she realized that there was something familiar about this gesture, that it held some place of significance, but she couldn't quite recall. It wasn't until Shepard withdrew the small black box from her pocket that Liara recognized what was happening.

Her stomach tightened and her pulse began to quicken. Years ago, back when she was a shy maiden onboard the first Normandy, she had spent a fair amount of time researching the various crewmembers, having little to no experience with species outside of her own - especially humans. She had told herself that her curiosity was purely academic, of course, especially when it came to the Normandy's elusive commander. But as she spent more and more time with Shepard, her research veered into more intimate territory, familiarizing herself with the myriad of human mating practices, bonding rituals, and ceremonies. As their relationship evolved, she found herself daydreaming, at an embarrassingly young age, about the very moment now unfolding before her.

But that seemed like a lifetime ago. Shepard had died, been resurrected, and survived a suicide mission just in time to be incarcerated, then thrown into battle against the Reapers. There had been no time for youthful daydreams or fantasies, and even now she never dwelled on it. Just the mere fact that Shepard survived had been enough, and she didn't dare ask for anything more.

Tears were stinging her eyes before Shepard even spoke. The ring itself was perfect; sleek and crisp, with a wide, solid silver band and a single diamond set low into the shank. The jewel was impossibly bright in the dim lighting, and seemed to be dancing in front of her, the effect heightened by the slight tremble in Shepard's hand.

"Our daughter reminded me that I forgot to do something." Liara tore her eyes away from the ring to look at Shepard. The human's eyes were wide and full of unchecked emotion. Her copper hair, still cropped short, was slightly ruffled by the gentle sea breeze, and she reached up to brush an errant lock off her forehead. Shepard appeared as if she was about to speak again, but glanced away shyly for a moment, then looked back at Liara with an noticeably sheepish expression. Liara hastily wiped at her tears and smiled down at Shepard. She understood. After all they had been through, all they had witnessed - the death, pain, and horrors of war; to the galaxy's slow rebuilding from the ashes of the Reapers' destruction; to the creation of their own modest family - there was nothing left to say. There was nothing else that could be said. All that remained was one simple question.

"Will you marry me?"

"Of course."

In one swift movement, the ring was on her finger and Liara was being crushed in Shepard's strong embrace. She couldn't help but let out a peal of delighted laughter as she was lifted easily off the deck and spun around dramatically before being gently returned to her feet. Shepard was grinning wildly, wearing the goofy, lopsided smile that Liara knew was reserved for her alone. Liara reached out and took Shepard's face in her hands, bringing them together in a bruising, unapologetic kiss. She could feel Shepard's smile against her lips, and when they pulled apart she was grinning as well.

"Do you like it?" Shepard's voice was thick as she covered Liara's hands with her own, her thumb brushing over the jewelry now adorning the asari's finger.

"It's beautiful." Liara pulled away gently and held out her hand, fingers splayed, admiring how the silver metal of her ring contrasted with the blue tone of her skin.

"I know there's no asari equivalent of an engagement ring, but I thought maybe you could wear this for now. Plus, that's not all." Shepard eased over until she was standing behind Liara, arms wrapped loosely around her waist. She murmured into Liara's neck. "Flare your biotics."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Liara acquiesced, exhaling slowly as she released a trickle of biotics down her arm. The blue tendrils curled around her like smoke, twisting over her hand and reaching up to her fingers. The ring ignited in a sharp flash of light, and the band began to glow and shine like it was molten silver. The diamond reacted as if it had been by a beam of direct sunlight, dazzling Liara with a rainbow of hues within the jewel itself. For the second time that evening, she was nearly rendered speechless.

"There's trace amounts of eezo in the band and the diamond." Shepard's arms tightened around her. "It'll react to your biotics."

"Goddess..." Liara breathed, unable to form any other words. She stared at her hand for a few lingering moments before allowing her biotics to gradually fade. The ring slowly returned back to normal as well, albeit this time with a distinct shimmer she was sure hadn't been there before. She wrapped her arms over Shepard's, letting out a pleased hum when she felt the human's lips brush against her neck. Liara leaned back against her mate's broad chest until she suddenly remembered something.

She spun around in Shepard's arms and promptly slapped the human's shoulder. "_This _is why you were nervous? Did you think I would say _no?_"

Shepard immediately stepped back and started gesticulating wildly. "Well, I didn't know! We'd never really talked about it and I know how much you hate surprises and really, it's the damn kid's fault because this was all _her _idea and I said - "

Another kiss quickly and immediately silenced the human, and this time Liara only pulled back just enough so she could growl against Shepard's lips.

"Shut up and take me to bed."


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard collapsed with a strangled cry, barely catching her weight on one elbow as she fell forward. Liara kept her arms wrapped tightly around the human's shoulders, fingers digging into slick skin as she let the meld fade away. For a moment, the only sound in the room was their uneven breathing as they both struggled to regain their breath.

"Damn, Liara," Shepard finally said, muttering helplessly into the crook of the asari's neck. "I would have proposed years ago if I knew you were gonna do that."

Liara laughed gently, gradually loosening her grip. "If only you could have overcome your crippling fear of rejection sooner."

Shepard just groaned in reply. Eventually, she regained her strength enough to roll onto her side. Liara followed, tucking herself tightly into Shepard's chest as she was encircled by warm, strong arms. She let out a sigh and almost immediately began drifting off, listening as her mate's heartbeat returned to the steady rhythm that had lulled her sleep for years.

"Li?" Shepard's voice was soft and oddly hesitant.

"Hmm?"

"We're not going to end up like your parents."

Liara tensed. Apparently she had not been as successful at burying her earlier anxieties as she had hoped. She thought for a moment, pressing her lips against Shepard's collarbone as she formulated her response. She was careful to keep her tone neutral when she spoke.

"You cannot know that."

"Oh really?" Liara could feel Shepard's smile even in the darkness of their room. She felt a sudden burst of irritation and pushed herself away from the human.

"I am serious."

Shepard moved away on their bed, far enough so that she could look Liara in the face. Her optical implants had been replaced with newer models several years after the war, and although her eyes were no longer red, they still shone an unnaturally bright blue in the dark. Shepard's grin was no longer present, and Liara could sense a rush of nervousness from the human, obviously apprehensive about the potential morass she had waded into.

"What's going on?" Shepard asked. Liara felt her nervousness begin to teeter on the edge of sheer panic. She reached out and gently stroked Shepard's cheek, even as she let out a frustrated huff. She hadn't meant to upset her, or even have this conversation on tonight of all nights, but the door had been opened and now it seemed there was no choice but to go through it.

"I just worry sometimes," Liara said. "Despite all that had happened, we are still very different people, Evan. Not just in the obvious ways, either - our backgrounds, how we were raised, even our lives before the war could not be more opposite. And now, with the work I am doing and your semi-retirement, I am concerned that those differences will just be exacerbated."

Her words started coming out in a rush, as she was unable to hold back now that her fears were being voiced. Shepard just listened quietly as she continued. "Do you really think you can remain happy with me? What happens when we have another daughter? You will most likely stay at home to care for her and Eva. Goddess, after everything you have done, how can you live like that and not resent me for it?"

To her credit, Shepard didn't move closer, or try to placate her fears with physical gestures. Liara watched Shepard's eyes glimmer thoughtfully as she considered what she had been told.

"I can see why you would think that," Shepard said. "But here's the thing: I never _chose_ any of that. I only joined the Alliance because I was starving and scared to death and had no other options. I only went through N7 training because it turned out I was good with a sniper rifle. I never chose to get hit with that Prothean beacon, or to be humanity's first Spectre, or to lead the entire goddamn galaxy against the Reapers. But I _chose _you_._ I chose a life with you, no matter what it looks like." Shepard turned her head slightly to kiss the palm still resting on her cheek. "And sure, maybe it'll be a little bit boring sometimes, but you know Hackett still finds reasons to call me every other day. And the offer to be an instructor at The Villa still stands. Maybe in a couple years I might want to do that. But right now...I'm tired, Li. I don't want to fight anymore, and if that means my biggest challenge is going to be getting our kids to school on time, I'll gladly accept it."

Liara's throat tightened so much that she could barely speak. "Are you sure? What about my work? You _hate _politics." Her voice was scarcely a whisper.

Now Shepard moved, raising an arm to wrap around Liara's waist. "I don't know what the future looks like, but I'd be crazy not to want to be with you. You have already done so many amazing things, and I can't even begin to imagine what impact you're going to have in a few years. I will be proud to stand by your side, for as long as you'll let me. And as long as it makes sense for both of us." Shepard paused, and Liara knew she was grinning again. "Besides, watching you tear down the establishment with your bare hands is real turn-on."

Liara laughed weakly and playfully slapped Shepard's shoulder. "You always could give a speech." She sniffed and wiped at her face. Shepard's hand cupped her jaw, and a callused thumb gently brushed away the tears. The kiss started out tenderly and full of reassurance, but quickly became more insistent. Liara clutched at Shepard's shoulders as the human slowly rolled her onto her back. Shepard began moving over her, lips brushing against the folds of her neck, over her breasts, and down the flat plane of her stomach. Liara glanced down and caught a glimpse of her ring, glowing against fingers twisted in thick curls. The light began to grow, seemingly filling the entire room. It was all she could register until she threw her head back and cried out, her eyes swirling into black.

* * *

Shepard stretched and let out an involuntary yawn, enjoying the late morning sea breeze. Initially, she had reservations about building their home so close to the water, beset by images of flooding and crashing waves and merciless storms. However, she had soon discovered that the Thessian seas were powerful, yet gentle, and despite the seasonal thunderstorms, they were in no danger. She had quickly come to love the location, mere yards from the surf and in the shadow of what remained of the T'Soni estate. Liara particularly enjoyed that fact, and although her mother's estate had been nearly destroyed in the war, Shepard was pleased that they had been able to build so close to where Liara had grown up. Shepard recalled fondly the first time Liara had taken an infant Eva down to the water, to play in the same sand and surf that she had as a child. She looked forward to Liara doing that again with another daughter, whenever they made that decision.

She padded across the deck and scooped up the empty wineglasses, bottle and decanter they had left out in their haste to retreat upstairs. Despite the sudden appearance of Liara's anxieties, last night had gone quite well, and had even translated into a wonderfully lazy morning. She had managed to convince Liara to shut off her alarm, and they had spent hours in bed curled against each other, melding, dozing, and talking quietly. Only the impending return of their daughter and Shepard's near-pathological need for coffee drove them to finally leave their bedroom.

Shepard opened the sliding door and deftly sidestepped into the living room, managing to balance everything in one arm. Liara was at the sink in the kitchen, standing with her back to her, and Shepard allowed herself a moment of unabashed admiration. Outside their home, Liara had adopted the traditional asari wardrobe when conducting business, and usually wore the typical long dress that covered from neck to feet. Her casual attire was far less formal, however, and she was now clad in a simple tank top and form fitting shorts. Shepard watched the muscles in the asari's back flex as she placed a glass back into the cupboard. Liara's hand hovered in midair for a moment, fingers splayed. Her biotics suddenly flared, rippling down her toned arm and causing her new ring to spring to life.

"You're going to wear it out if you keep doing that." Shepard smiled and planted a kiss on the asari's shoulder, then deposited the dishes on the counter.

"If that's true, then you are cheaper than I thought." Shepard scowled. It was true that she was perhaps a bit stingy with their credits, but she certainly wasn't _cheap._ The blue energy faded away, and Liara turned around to see Shepard's face. She laughed gently before Shepard replied and wrapped her arms around the human's neck. "You never did explain how this was all Eva's idea," she said, her fingers automatically raking through short copper hair.

Shepard's scowl faded, but her expression remained somewhat serious. She explained the news about Eva's friend, the anxiety it caused, and how their conversation had segued into an unexpected discussion of her parents' marital status. Shepard watched as Liara's eyes flickered with concern at first, then turned into amusement at the ultimate outcome of the situation. When she finished speaking, Shepard grinned for a brief instant, then frowned.

"What?" Liara's fingers tightened on the back of Shepard's neck.

"It's just...everyone in this house thinks I'm just going to up and leave," Shepard huffed. "Did I say something?"

The corners of Liara's eyes crinkled as her smile widened, but any reply was cut short by a loud bang, then the sound of the sliding door practically being wrenched off its tracks. Eva tore into the living room a split second later, followed closely by her grandfather.

"Mom! Mommomomom!" Eva bounded over to them, her backpack slapping wildly against her thin shoulders. Liara spun gracefully and dropped to one knee, holding her arms outstretched.

"Hello, Little Wing! I missed you - "

"Lemme see!" Eva brushed aside her mother's greeting, instead yanking impatiently at her hand. "Oohh!" Her dark blue eyes widened at the sight of the ring, and then she promptly looked up at her father and wrinkled her nose. "Told you!"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, kid." She turned back to finish rinsing the dishes when a rough, callused hand came down sharply on her shoulder, causing her to nearly drop a wineglass.

"'Bout time, dumbass." Aethyta's voice was gruff, but her brown eyes twinkled happily. Shepard shrugged nonchalantly, which earned her an affectionate cuff upside the head. She scowled in protest and Aethyta just cackled and sat down at the breakfast bar.

"Did you get any action, Dad?" Eva had managed to disentangle herself from her mother's grasp and was now tugging at Shepard's hip. Shepard blinked at the odd question, hoping like hell her daughter wasn't asking what she thought she was.

"Wait...what?"

"Did you get any action?" Eva repeated impatiently. "Pop-Pop said that I was spending the night because you were gonna get some 'action' and I asked if that was like the action vids that we watch and she said that it kinda was and I - "

"Eva, why don't you put your bag upstairs?" Liara said in a strained voice. "You and your father can watch a vid after lunch."

Eva, thankfully, complied with the request, no doubt plied with the promise of food. "Can Pop-Pop stay for lunch?"

"Oh, I'm sure Pop-Pop has more important things to do today..." Liara spoke through clenched teeth and leveled a blistering glare at her father. Shepard cringed. She had been on the receiving end of that look more times than she cared to admit.

Aethyta, however, was unperturbed. "Nope, I have all afternoon free. The turian poolboy isn't coming over until later."

Eva paused at the foot of the stairs and cocked her head in confusion. "But you don't have a pool."

A thoughtful look crossed the matriarch's face. "Huh. Guess he'll have clean something else, then."

"Eva, _upstairs."_

"I'm going!"

As soon as Eva disappeared from sight, Liara wheeled on Aethyta with a dangerous glower, and Shepard moved to intercept her before she sent a warp across her father's face. Aethyta was more amused than worried.

"Don't even start with me." She waved dismissively. "I'm surprised she hasn't figured it all out by now. I've seen varren in heat that were more dignified than you two." Shepard blushed involuntarily and exchanged glances with Liara, who still looked decidedly angry. Aethyta gestured at the seat next to her, ignoring her daughter's reaction. "C'mon, sit down. Despite what you might think, I didn't come over just to piss you off. I have something for both of you."

Liara eased into the stool facing the matriarch, still eyeing her warily. Shepard remained standing and took up position immediately behind her, placing a palm flat on the bar and letting the other gently brush against Liara's hip. Shepard was rewarded when she felt her bondmate relax and lean back into her slightly.

Aethyta cleared her throat and shifted in her seat, suddenly looking uncharacteristically hesitant. "All right, so I just happened to be cleaning out some stuff last night, and I came across these." She reached into the pocket of her dress and produced a slim white box. She placed it carefully on the counter and slid it deliberately over to Liara. "I thought maybe you could get some use out of 'em."

Shepard hovered over Liara's shoulder and heard her gasp softly as she opened the box. Lying side by side, entwined from the jostling of Aethyta's pocket, were two gleaming bracelets. One was braided together with two different types of metal, appearing silver and gold, with deep brown jewels in the band. The other, slightly thicker than the first, was a lone silver strand embedded with its own blue-green jewels. Liara looked up at the matriarch, mouth agape.

"Father, you...you kept these? After so many years?"

Aethyta attempted a casual shrug, but Shepard could see the emotion just behind her dark eyes. "Eh, you know at my age it's easy to lose track of things. Thought I had tossed 'em forever ago. Guess not." The matriarch's gaze flicked from Liara to Shepard then back again, and Shepard realized that all three of them knew she was lying. Her features became more earnest. "Look, I'm not trying to upset you, and you don't have to keep 'em if you don't want to. But those bracelets have one hundred good, strong years in 'em. And if you ask me, I'm pretty sure you two idiots have me and Nezzie beat." She smiled warmly and reached out to squeeze Liara's shoulder.

"I-I don't know...Evan...?" Liara craned her neck around to look at Shepard, eyes glistening and an utterly overwhelmed expression on her face. Shepard slowly brought her hand over to cover Liara's and laced their fingers together over the box.

"They're perfect," she said.

"Are you sure?"

Shepard reached her other arm around Liara's waist and pulled the asari tightly to her. She gently kissed the side of her neck. "Absolutely."

The moment was interrupted by a familiar, gravelly cackle. Aethyta had somehow slipped out of her stool and walked across the room. Shepard turned to find her soon-to-be father-in-law rummaging through her liquor cabinet, even though it wasn't even midday yet.

"What?" Shepard frowned.

"I just remembered that now you have to actually plan the damn thing." Aethyta poured herself a generous amount of ryncol, then tipped the glass in their direction. "Good luck with _that._"


End file.
